It has been a celebratory week for the legacy of Big Pun after the Bronx native and Hip Hop icon had a street named after him, but this has also created a public dispute between Fat Joe, Pun’s sister and Cuban Link.
After being honored on March 22nd, the absence of Fat Joe and his explanation for not showing up has resulted in Cuban Link and Big Pun’s sister to respond back. Taking it to Instagram live the night Pun was honored, Fat Joe explained why he could not attend this historical moment in the legacy of Big Pun.
“If you don’t have good things to say about somebody, I prefer to not say it. So me, I could not go over there, because there were people over there I just ain’t feeling. And I ain’t never going to feel,” Fat Joe explains. “So when everybody DMs me, or says little things, yo bro — I will never stand beside these people ever in life. In my life, all I have is my word. My word is my bond. I never broke my word for nobody. If I shook your hand and told you it’s peace, then it’s peace. If I have a problem with you, I let you know.”
Many felt Fat Joe should have been the bigger man and put differences aside when it came to honoring Pun with Big Pun Plaza. For Joe he recalls on IG live having that opportunity in the past and once invited Pun’s son, Chris Rivers, to attend a night at Radio city Music Hall where many rappers attended to honor the late Hip Hop icon. According to Joe he asked Chris to rap his father’s lyrics on stage at the event. An offer that Chris declined.
“I invited his son, who raps, to come and do Big Pun’s parts. He declines. I invited him when we big-upped Pun at Radio City Music Hall, where every rapper was there, but they declined. That’s cool. I was the bigger guy, and often. I know he was a kid when Pun passed and he knows what’s told to him. I respect that it’s all good.”
Continuing his reasoning for not attending the unveiling of Big Pun Plaza, Joe said, “I’m not standing beside nobody. Talking about ‘let’s do it for Pun.’ No I’m not. When you slander me and my word and make me look crazy for two decades in the hood. I can not stand next to you. My kids ain’t standing next to you. We just ain’t doing that. We’re talking about the legacy of Big Pun, we’re talking about uplifting him for 20 years … all we do is uplift Pun.”
Rapper Cuban Link isn’t buying it. In fact Cuban Link feels the street name was long over due and could have happened sooner if Joe had used his power to make it happen. Cuban Link also claims the real reason why Fat Joe doesn’t want to stand beside anybody who attended the ceremony is because the truth hurts. “If you talking about you love Pun, you’re supposedly twin, what have you done that shows your love towards him,” Link explained on an IG video post. “You don’t have to worry about standing next to us or me if you don’t want to. I wouldn’t want that either right now, I understand. When we stand next to the truth it is difficult. It’s difficult to face the truth and understand that’s why you don’t wanna do it. You command and teach your people and your family not to stand next to us.”
Big Pun’s sister, Nicki Rodriguez, also expressed her dislike for those who didn’t show up. Although she did not say Fat Joe’s name in the video, it appears to be a clear shot at Joe’s explanation as to why he did not show up on March 22nd. “And for the other ones who claim to be all tough and you got so much money. You can take out airplanes and helicopters. Then where’s your helicopter that day? Where was your plane? Where was you?,” Nicki said. “But you should be really embarrassed if you family blood, or even raised as blood or even consider yourself family, but choose not to because of your own selfish reason, because you felt you could not be in the presence of this one — man that’s bulls—. There’s people in the presence of you right now that can’t stand you, but are only there because you have money, because you have fame, but they don’t like you either.”
